A Question of Confidence
by Accan
Summary: Another girl from Ranma's past and mysterious occurrences in Nerima... Suddenly, things get out of control around the pigtailed martial artist. Looks like Ranma will have to deal with even more headaches before he can finally start living in peace..Ch6up
1. Shampoo in trouble

Ranma 1/2: **A question of confidence**

Author's Note: This story is based on characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe, a creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 1:** **Shampoo in trouble**

"Are you sure you're alright, Ranko?" Nodoka asked with concern in her voice. 'What's wrong with her? I've never seen her that tired before,' she mused. 'And since the day we first met I can't get rid of the feeling that she's hiding something... Anyway, why is she always wet when I see her?'

"I'm fine, Mrs. Saotome, really," said red-head assured, trying to sound convincing - but without much success, she figured, seeing that the worried expression on the young woman's face was still there. She sighed inwardly. Why could she never have an ordinary morning? '´Cause you're Ranma Saotome, magnet for water an´ chaos,' she answered herself mentally. 'And because ya got that jerk of a father who gotta swear that damn oath that keeps ya away from the only woman who doesn't see ya as a price or future husband.'

As soon as he had sensed the presence of his wife, that idiotic panda had thrown a pail of water at his surprised son (more specifically at his head) who hadn't even had a chance to dodge, causing a throbbing pain as it had hit him hardly on his forehead. The pain was still there, and with each throb Ranko got angrier at the old man. He would pay for this, that was for sure.

But for now, it was time to get to school. "Akane, are ya comin´?" Ranko said habitually.

Akane noticed Nodoka snapping out of her reverie and opening her mouth to ask something and jumped in quickly. "She offered to accompany me to school, since Ranma's not there." Nodoka raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? That's very kind of you, Ranko!"

"Well..." the girl scratched her head nervously. "It's just for today." With that, she headed for the hall, Akane followed closely behind. Both took a look over their shoulders to say goodbye before they went outside.

* * *

"What were you thinking, Ranma?" Akane asked furiously- again.

"Oh, c'mon! What else was I supposed to do? We're in a hurry, don't forget about that!" And then, much to Akane's confusion, she leapt on the rooftop to come back in the blink of an eye in his boy-form. As he ran ahead, he shouted at her. "What? Did ya think I'm goin' to school as a girl?"

Akane blinked, realizing the distance between them. "RANMA NO BAKA! Wait!" And she hurried after him. As she was nearly up to him, he stopped abruptly, causing her to jump backwards. "What are you doing, you jerk?" He didn't answer. Out of breath, she took in the reason for her fiancé's odd behaviour: That Chinese bimbo Shampoo had flung her arms around him and the stupid pervert couldn't help but blush!

"Ranma, you miss Shampoo?"

"Sh-Sha-Shampoo...," was the usual stammering reply. What happened next is all too familiar: The chill morning air had eased his headache slightly, but now, after Akane had slammed her school bag into his face, he had to deal with twice the amount of pain. He felt Shampoo loosening her grip on him and waited for the two of them to start their fight with a battle-cry...

...Strangely enough, neither Shampoo nor Akane said a word. He could even feel Akane's battle aura vanishing at once. 'What the hell's goin' on here? Shampoo hasn't used one of her Amazon tricks again, has she?... No, otherwise, she'd be happy if she'd managed to bewitch Akane..,' the male martial artist thought, taking off the school bag from his hurting face. 'What... Was that a groan?"

"Shampoo? What's wrong with you?" Unbelievable as it was: It was Akane who spoke. The concern in her voice was faint, but Ranma could make it out easily. After all, she had spoken to him like that many times in the past. Anyway, Akane avoided doing it... unless the situation was pretty serious.

Slowly, he turned his head to see Shampoo. He gasped. The beautiful face of the young Amazon was soaked in sweat. She reached up with one tender hand to wipe it away, while she took in deep quick breaths, her eyes unfocused. Instantly, Ranma was on her side, catching her collapsing form.

"R-Ranma?" Akane hesitantly approached her fiancé, her voice shaking slightly with fear. Ranma couldn't blame her for that. Indeed, he was shocked himself. He had never seen Shampoo in such a bad shape. So weak. So fragile.

Shampoo's breathing slowed down with each second now. Ranma went over to a park bench at the roadside and sat down, holding the Amazon cautiously in his arms. Akane handed him a handkerchief and watched him carefully as he began dabbing her face dry, a blank look on his face.

"Shampoo, can you hear me?" Ranma asked in an even tone.

She groaned softly. "Wh-What?"

Ranma's expression softened somewhat, now realizing for the first time how tense he had been. "It's me, Ranma!"

"R-Ranma?"

She smiled! He sighed with relief. "Yeah! Please, Shampoo, open your eyes." The last three words ended up in almost a whisper.

Only a little while later, the lovely violet eyes of the young Chinese stared into those of her beloved. The paleness in her face was replaced by a slight blush on her cheeks as she noticed how close they were, what made her look even prettier.

"Wh-What... Wh-Where...?"

"Don't worry, Shampoo. You're safe now," Ranma assured her. "We were just about to fight, remember? But all of a sudden, you were soaked in sweat," Akane joined in. "I have absolutely no clue, why, or where it ca---"

"This happen often," Shampoo interrupted.

"What?" the others interjected simultaneously, wide-eyed.

The Amazon simply nodded. "Is a week ago now. Shampoo wake up and is even more tired as she was before sleep." There was silence for a moment. Then...

"Why didn't ya say somethin'? You're possibly pretty sick. We could've helped ya!" Ranma said with a hint of ice in his voice and regretted it once he had finished, because Shampoo flinched and for a brief moment, there was that helpless expression on her face once more. How he hated it seeing women hurt.

Thus, he continued in a soft tone. "I mean, whaddya think it is? Fever? Have ya ever been ill before?" 'Please tell me, Shampoo. I'm sure you're hidin' somethin'...'

"Is summer. Is hot," Shampoo responded with a shrug of her shoulders. "Ranma... is worried about Shampoo?" she pressed, wanting to hear it again... from him... from his lips...

"I too, Shampoo," Akane said. 'I'm not going to sit back, watching you flirting with him, bimbo! Oh no, I'm still here and you better get used to the thought!' "Well, Ranma, now that Shampoo's okay so far- What about school?"

"Huh? Oh..yeah. Guess, even if we hurried we'd still gotta hold these buckets all day," he replied, not daring to look her in the eyes. "So, we could actually take Shampoo to the Nekohanten- only to make sure, she's really gonna be alright?" the pig-tailed martial artist pointed out self-consciously at the grim glare of his fiancée.

"What logic! But I reckon, that's the main thing for now. Let's move it." With that, Akane spun on her heels and went ahead.

"So whaddya think, Shampoo, can ya walk on yer own?"

"Yes! She CAN!" they heard Akane shouting angrily from a distance.

Shampoo grinned at Ranma. "Just a jealous tomboy," she murmured happily and reluctantly stood up from where she'd lain on his lap . Ranma did the same and when he walked past her, she whispered something in his ear.

"Thanks, Ranma."

And she followed him hot on his heels on his way to her home.

* * *

**End of Part 1**

Author's note: That's it! I've really done it! My first chapter ever is updated (at least, a part of it...)! Well, as you see I'd like to continue this chapter: (...). Right now, I'm only testing whether you're interested in the story or not by writing only a part. One thing I can tell you: I've worked a whole week to create a proper and hopefully interesting story for you. Please review so that I can make up my mind. I'd really like to finish the story, although it would take me some time, because it's not that short.

As you might have noticed, English is not my first language. So please, show me the mistakes and I'll fix them! Thanks!

Thank you very much for reading my story!


	2. The work of a demon

Ranma 1/2: **A question of confidence**

Author's Note: This story is based on characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe, a creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Chapter 2: ****The work of a demon**

'Here you are, Ryoga Hibiki! _Lost_, as _always_!' thought the young man furiously. Trying desperately to control his temper, he came to a halt and took a look around. He was standing in the middle of a wide street, surrounded by big houses, each with a huge front yard. Ryoga sighed. 'At least, it seems to be a town. I'm _sick_ of running through forests all day!'

But his patience was limited, and now the time was up: His whole body began to tremble, slightly first, before it ended up in a crazy shake. "I'm sick of it! I was so stupid to think I could get used to that _damn _bad sense of direction! I'm _SICK OF IT_!" And with that, he slammed his right fist into a nearby wall, without any care that it splattered to thousands of peaces and without realizing that he discovered a new technique (a sort of the one he had been taught by the old ghoul -but instead using his index finger, he managed to do it with his fist, producing even more damage). A lone tear made its way down his cheek as dim memories of other moments like this drifted through his brain. Memories of him alone somewhere deep in a forest or in one of his tunnels deep down... when he was meant to be at home or on his way to Akari or Akane.

As there was no wall anymore, he turned around, kneeled down and frantically hit the solid street several times while more tears joined the first one, running down his face.

_"SIR!"_ someone shrieked.

Ryoga blinked, noticing for the first time that a girl was standing right next to him, grabbing his right arm to hold him from punching again.

"Please, stop that," the stranger said in a slightly tired tone, once she had realized that he had calmed down somewhat. She sighed, letting her head drop, causing Ryoga to wonder how long she had been shouting at him. He took the occasion and wiped his eyes with his arm. The young woman let out a deep breath and as she slowly lifted her head with a smile on her lips, Ryoga blushed. 'Geez! What have I done! After that outbreak of mine, she gotta think I'm a freak! Oh man, it's a wonder she doesn't run away!'

"Um...," he started before he gave himself a mental kick. 'Why don't I just say 'thank you'?'

"Bad day, I guess?" It wasn't a question. "Do you need help?"

'Kami! She doesn't only look pretty nice, she IS nice! Unless I don't say something now, she'll think I'm a psychopath!' But he was speechless. Why on earth would such a girl want to help him? It was utterly ridiculous that someone would ever like him. This was one of the most embarrassing moments in his entire life. He had never had thought it would only require a simple question like this for him to feel the whole amount of sadness and loneliness in his soul. Absorbed in his depressive thoughts, he absently shook his head no.

"Well then... it was nice to meet you," the brunette girl smiled friendly, turned around and waved goodbye with a sad and somewhat disappointed expression in her eyes.

Distracted by her move, Ryoga snapped out of his reverie. "Wait!" he shouted. 'Maybe it's not too late. Maybe there's a chance left to change myself. After all, Akari seems to like me just how I am. Plus, she knows I'm a half... Maybe...' She stopped. He took a step in her direction. "Please..," he added. '...maybe today, I'm near Nerima...'

She turned to face him. This time, an honest smile crossed her face, reaching her beautiful emerald green eyes as she approached the boy.

"I'm sorry for the incidence. I-I didn't mean to be rude to you," he stammered and shuffled his feet nervously, staring at the ground. "My name is Ryoga Hibiki," he said incredibly fast after he had taken a deep breath.

"And actually..." He looked up and directly into her eyes, his cheeks bright pink. "I need your help."

Her smile grew wider. "My name is Kotori Takeda and it would be my pleasure to do you a favour," she replied, her eyes sparkling now.

"Um... c-could you please t-tell me where I am?"

He waited for the girl to laugh at him, or even to slap him because she thought he was kidding her. But unlike all the other people wandering around in... Japan (or wherever he might be right now), she just surprised him with another sweet smile, saying "Of course, Ryoga! We are in Tokyo".

And then, she chuckled. But the difference between her laughter and the countless other ones he was so used to was the reason behind it: She did not laugh because of his bad sense of direction. She laughed because of the disbelieving look on his face.

"A-Are you sure?" Ryoga asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes!" she assured. "Just tell me, where do you want to go? I could lead you there..," she offered self-consciously.

Ryoga couldn't take his eyes from hers. Was she serious? How could she not be? She had had her chance to run away, but she didn't. Instead, she offered in all honesty to help him? There was something strange about that girl... Instantly, he pushed away the thought. 'No way I'm suspicious now! There's no reason. And aside from that, she deserves much better than me to be leery or rude!' But that meant he really _was _in Tokyo, didn't it? It _had_ to be a sign!

"...only if you want me to, that is..," the girl added shyly as Ryoga didn't answer.

Another mental kick followed. "Th-That's really kind of you, thanks!" he managed to say, relaxing with every word they shared. "I -actually- intend to visit the Tendos. They live in Nerima," he informed her.

"_This _I call a coincidence! I'm on the way to Nerima as well! And I'm sure we'll find the ones you're looking for."

Okay, _now_ it was for sure: It _was_ a sign.

* * *

"_Kyaaa!_

Phew! _Now_ I feel great!"

"Akane! Won't you ever get tired of it?" Nabiki shouted from the porch, rolling her eyes.

Akane grinned, straightening her back and wiping away the sweat from her forehead with one sleeve of her yellow gi.

"Why do you care?" she asked her older sister with a hint of ice in her voice which didn't get past the ice-queen.

"Oh, sorry! I only just thought of our poor neighbours and besides I wondered whether it would do your relationship with Ranma any good if I caught some of your insults so that the poor guy doesn't need to suffer that much so early in the m---"

"Oh, shut up!" Akane interrupted sharply. "You do as well as I know that I always have a good reason for being angry at him. I reckon you already forgot that he's an-"

"-insensitive pervert, I know, I know! Geez Akane," Nabiki said dryly. "Don't expect me to protect him. Oh and before I forget, Kasumi asked me to inform you that breakfast is ready. Could you wake up your _poor _fiancé on your way to your room?" And without waiting for an answer, she was gone.

There was a splash coming from the koi pond in the backyard, followed by a furious girl's voice screaming "What did ya do that for, ya fat panda!"

'Seems like the two of them are already awake,' Akane thought with a sigh, approaching her room.

When she was fully dressed, Akane went downstairs and joined the others for breakfast.

As soon as she had kneeled down, her father cleared his throat.  
"I just had a telephone conversation with the mayor. He told me that people living over by the river furiously complained about several things yesterday. They say that they couldn't sleep well the previous week because their pets show unusual behaviour and animals in general are over night particularly loud and aggressive." He paused to sip of his cup of tea. After a moment, he continued. "Moreover, they claim that they have neither water nor electricity. Some of them even call it the work of a demon - and that's why we're involved from now on. It's up to us to help those people. We should be honoured to be given this faith and responsibility."

After Soun had finished, fixing them all with a stern look, Ranma (in his boy-form again) was the first one who broke the silence. "Well, as we're the only Dojo 'round here in Nerima, we ought to try to help 'em I guess," the pigtailed martial artist suggested, considering the request as a new challenge after an (in his case) ordinary week.

"Yeah, I mean, we could take a look around a bit and maybe at the weekend, we could try to figure out the source of the occurrences," Akane agreed with a nod.

.  
"Oh, my! I hope it's not a demon!" Kasumi exclaimed, with her hand on her cheek. "What if we suddenly have no water as well? Ranma would have to think of another possibility to change into his boy-form!"

No one of them noticed the panda holding up a sign with "Me too!" written on it in an untidy scrawl, looking quite sour.

"Don't worry, sis! These problems won't affect us, _will they_?" Nabiki said, directing the last two words at Ranma and Akane emphatically. "You two won't risk me to be angry at you because the TV doesn't work, will you?" she added with an innocent smirk. How she enjoyed teasing them!

**End of Part 2**

* * *

Author's note: As you see, I decided to leave chapter one as it is. Originally, I wanted to put more in this chapter but it became longer than I first thought it would. I guess, the future chapters will be longer anyway, because I have a lot of fun writing them! Due to your reviews, of course! Thank you very, very much! I really loved the feeling when I received my very first one! I'll do my exams soon, thus I'm afraid you'll have to wait two weeks for the next chapter at the utmost. Oh, and regarding Shampoo, I'm sorry but you'll have to be patient until I explain her condition.

Thank you for taking your time to read my story!


	3. Glowing eyes

Ranma 1/2: **A question of confidence**

Author´s Note: This story is based on characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe, a creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Glowing Eyes**

Kodachi was tired.

It was about midnight when she finally decided to finish her physical exercises. The coming battle would prove to be no problem to the talented gymnast, without any doubt. Nevertheless, Kodachi had a bad feeling about the whole matter since it had been quite some time when someone had actually dared to challenge her.

She felt her anger rise inside when her thoughts drifted to that pigtailed red-head again, imagining that furious expression on the stubborn girl's face as she claimed her beloved future husband belonged to her. Idiot.

But why bother, Kodachi thought and an ugly smile appeared at the corners of her mouth, full of dark promises. Revenge would be sweet. The girl needed to be taught a lesson. Soon. After all, who cheated in a fair battle (which was the only possible explanation for her defeat), not to mention who dared to use the name of her dear darling, had better be well prepared.

She yawned then, making a mental note to think about a suitable punishment after she had had some rest. Thus, Kodachi headed for the store-room to bring her ribbon and a few balls back into place.

That done, she turned to go to her room. Before she would switch off the light, though, she took a last look around the huge training hall and her lips curled once more into that satisfied smirk as her gaze wandered from the violent damages on what remained from the straw doll (which happened to possess an all too familiar red pigtail) to the broken pieces of shattered windowpanes high above.

'Yes, revenge will be sweet...'

By the time she reached the door to her room, something struck her. All of a sudden, the girl in the green leotard forgot all about her earlier sleepiness and exhaustion as the feeling intensified and her apprehension became true:

She was not alone.

She could definitely sense an alien presence in her room, that much was certain.

Quickly, the quite uncomfortable feeling of fear in her stomach turned into fury. Well, well, so someone risked to cross paths with Kodachi Kuno in a very bad mood. Who DARED to prevent her from getting her beauty sleep? But much worse: who possessed such brazenness to enter her holy realm without permission!

Keeping her current temper more or less under control - judging by her trembling form, Kodachi gripped the handle firmly and slowly opened the door.

"Bad timing, my friend," she whispered softly and sharply at the same time, putting a threatening hint of ice in her voice as her eyes rested on the silhouette of the intruder standing before the curtain opposite Kodachi. From her point of view with only the dim light coming from the hallway, she could make out that the person was tall and long full hair framed the slim, well-formed body.

Kodachi was just about to reach out for the light swich on her left when suddenly, without warning, the girl leapt forward. Kodachi, totally taken off-guard by the surprise attack, turned...

Too late.

* * *

A scream caused Tatewaki Kuno to snap out of his meditations and jump to his feet abruptly. 

He recognized the voice at once and burst out of his room, seizing his wooden bokken in the process and dashing off along the long hallway.

Had it been a cry, he certainly would have been only angry at his dear sister again as she had distracted him once more. No, the very last thing he would probably have done was to worry about Kodachi then.

But she had screamed, her voice piercing and thick with fear. A sound even her brother had scarcely ever heard. Kuno was really concerned, his heart hammered wildly in his chest as he approached Kodachi's room at high speed. After all, he did care about his sister's wellfare. It was his duty to make sure she was save. She needed him and he sure as hell was not going to let her down.

Kuno was nearly there, now. A dull noise reached his ears, as though something (or someone, but he prefered rather not to think about it) had hit the floor heavily.

Panting for breath, he made a grab at the handle and pushed the door open violently. What he saw made his heart jump.

Kodachi had collapsed to the floor in a boneless heap, her back against the front of her wooden wardrobe.

Kuno whirled around both shocked and incredulously to face the person responsible for his sister's current condition.

For a brief moment, there was a flicker of surprise in those strange glowing eyes at his sudden appearance, but in the blink of an eye, it vanished, leaving a mask of a somehow irritating indifference on the barely discernible features of the woman's face.

Kuno raised his bokken, pointing it directly at his enemy, a blank look on his face. He took one last look over his shoulder at the motionless form of his relative before he met her gaze, fire of both determination and almost painful wrath in his eyes.

"You took it too far, dishonorable intruder," the kendoist warned in a measured tone, carefully controlling the rage that surged up within his outwardly calm body, getting more and more intense with each second.

Said opponent merely grinned, a cold and evil motion that sent a shiver down Kuno's back, causing the blind fury inside to overwhelm him at last.

With a fierce battle cry, he started waving his bokken around wildly and unpredictably in an attempt at giving his adversary neither the chance to dodge nor to flee.

* * *

Shampoo awoke early this morning. 

For some reason, she had trouble catching her breath.

Next thing she realized: Her entire body felt like she'd been knocked down by a truck several times. The pain was incredible.

Tentatively, Shampoo moved her head to the right to get a better look at her room. One of her bonboris lay on the floor before the open cupboard whereas the other one stood inside, just like she used to pack them away when she didn't need them.

A quick glance at her little alarm clock told her it was about half an hour yet until it was time to get up.

This fairly unpleasant pain, however, made it impossible for her to just lie back and relax. So she began to slowly remove the blanket- and stared. She was fully dressed.

This detection finally caused her to try hard to remember the Thursday evening...

It was dark outside the window. No sound could be heard in the restaurant, except for a muffled one coming from inside the bathroom upstairs.

Shampoo finished brushing her teeth and, after a last check in the mirror above the washbasin, turned to go to her room.

When she opened the door which led to the hallway, she could no longer stifle a huge yawn. To say it had been a hell of a working day would be the understatement of the year.

Time to get some rest. Hence, she reached out for the handle of the door of her room and...

Shampoo blinked. Yeah... and what?

But it had no use. She just couldn't remember what happened next. And when she exited the bath and headed downstairs for the restaurant area, Shampoo pushed away her concern, thinking that her great-grandmother might have picked her up after she had fallen asleep on the floor, right there before her room, in her clothes.

Once in the kitchen, Cologne suddenly came up behind her soundlessly, breaking the silence by saying "Good morning, Shampoo" right in her left ear. She always did this to shock her and, since she was able to hide her presence pretty well, in former days, it had always worked. But it had been a while when she gave it up and stopped reacting to her great-grandmother's teasing. Shampoo hated it and she knew Cologne was well aware of the fact.

But today, it was harder not to curse. The pain drove her crazy.

"How do you feel today, Shampoo? Did you sleep well?" the old Amazon asked, but before Shampoo had the opportunity of replying, she continued, this time, instead of using her casual mask, putting on a concerned expression. "I woke up in the middle of the night. There was noise coming from your room. Did you sleep at all?"

All right, so her only explanation was out of the question... But why else should she wake up in her fighting uniform? And then there was also the onebonbori... and her -apparently- lost memory. Sleepwalking? Hardly. She'd better not tell her great-grandmother about this. She would only be unnecessarily worried about her. Unnecessarily? She really hoped so.

"Shampoo?"

The violet-haired woman snapped out of her reverie. When her great-granddaughter met her gaze, Cologne perceived exhaustion, mixed with shame and, much to her surprise, no small amount of a certain fear in those honest eyes, the color matching that of her slightly wavy hair. "What's the matter?"

"If I knew..." Shampoo whispered, more to herself than to anyone else as she turned to grab a sponge and wring it out in the bucket of water next to the sink.

And Cologne couldn't help but believe the girl.

So, she took a "step" (she was on her bow staff) backwards, allowing Shampoo to go past in the dining room and start polishing the tables.

Meanwhile, Cologne processed the first order that she had already taken three days before because it required some ingredients which weren't available every day. That done, she went to the entrance to turn around the sign so that the word "open" was shown if you looked from outside at the door.

A dead silence followed when both of them were lost in their thoughts, Shampoo wiping the last tables and Cologne looking out the transparent part of the entrance door.

It didn't last for long, though.

A gasp brought the old Amazon back to reality, prompting her to turn in time to see her great-granddaughter collapse on a nearby chair. The girl set her elbows on her knees and pressed her palms firmly against her head, taking quick but deep breath, causing her whole body to move back and forth in jerks.

And again, Shampoo was soaked in sweat.

It was only a matter of seconds until Cologne stood before her, a towel in her hand. Her great-granddaughter took it with a forced but grateful smile.

"Better?" the old woman wanted to know after a few minutes of silent waiting for the young one to calm down.

Said Amazon gave a short nod. "I'm a bit dizzy," she informed her great-grandmother.

"Shampoo, please listen to me..." Cologne began, but was promptly cut off.

"I understand your concern, great-grandmother, but-"

"I said, listen to me," she repeated, letting a sharp edge creep into her voice. "It is about the tenth time this week that something like this happened. Something has to be done about it. Shampoo, what you urgently need is rest. You can't be serious to think about working under such bad-"

"Great-grandmother, you seem to forget that we already _had_ this discussion more than _once_. And for your information: I'm _not_ going to stop working and I'm certainly _not_ going to lie around all day like a _DAMNED HELPLESS CHILD_!"

With that, Shampoo spun on her heels, snatched the first order and dashed out of the restaurant, leaving a totally startled Cologne behind.

She'd scarcely experienced her great-granddaughter being so stubborn. Sure, Shampoo, as a member of the Amazon tribe, possessed a considerable amount of pride. The girl understandably couldn't bear the thought of being in a situation where she obviously wasn't able to do something about.

Well, of course, she could respect her offer to run the Nekohanten alone while she got some rest, but this was no doubt the last thing she wanted to do now. Here, too, her pride would interfere.

But was this only about pride, or was something else guiding Shampoo to refuse and react the way she did?

**End of Part 3

* * *

**

Author's note: Thank you all for your reviews! And I'm _really_ sorry that I couldn't update in time. I promise I won't stop writing on it until I have finished it! You see, there are lots of open questions, but they will be answered. Stay tuned!

As you might have noticed, English is not my first language. So please, show me the mistakes and I'll fix them! Thanks!

Thank you for taking the time to read my story!

Until next time,

Jenny


	4. Nabiki pays?

Ranma 1/2: **A question of confidence**

Author´s Note: This story is based on characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe, a creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Nabiki... pays?**

Shampoo drove along a side street of Nerima, having her mind on the earlier conversation with her great-grandmother. Although it was hard for her to admit it, she herself was quite surprised by her sudden outburst back then and there was no way she was blaming her great-grandmother for being concerned. In fact, she too was beginning to get serious reservations about her permanent exhaustion, her sweating and her strange aggressive behavior. Usually, she never had trouble getting along with the old Amazon.

Hell, she didn't even know why she'd been shouting at her that way. But one thing was clear to Shampoo: She'd experienced much more stress in other days, so that reason was out. 'But maybe,' Shampoo mused bitterly, biting her lower lip,

'Maybe the whole thing just scares me.'

Oh, and it made her so furious to be made out to be weak in front of Ranma and Cologne, not to forget her rivals. What were they supposed to think of her when she constantly collapsed?

Suddenly, Shampoo was more determined than ever in the previous week to get to the bottom of the most suspicious circumstances.

Was she being manipulated?

But as soon as it had come to her mind, she pushed the thought away. Shampoo had actually to suppress an ironic smirk. Only because _she_ did that every time she was given the opportunity, it didn't mean (and this was likely barely the case) others acted likewise.

And anyway, _she_ was the expert in these matters, after all. Shampoo knew all the side effects of any kind of manipulation better than anyone else (except perhaps her great-grandmother), be it caused by certain creams, food or special shampoo. Surely, whenever the 'victim's' spirit proved to be not strong enough to bear the negative repercussions of the 'spell' that controlled its mind, it was indeed possible that the person suffered from sudden feelings of faintness, not comprehensible emotional outbursts or even mental breakdown.

Still, there was no way you could control someone in his sleep.

But then, where did the exhaustion come from?

In that very moment, Shampoo reached a junction and almost unconsciously decided to make a detour.

Although the only other explanation was the most usual one for other people, for Shampoo, it was the reason for the unpleasant feeling of dread in her stomach she had since she awoke that morning.

Was she ill?

If she was, it would be the first time in the last ten years. Actually, Shampoo had thought she'd become immune to illnesses as she was a quite strong-willed personality and thus less delicate.

If she was, it was serious.

But how serious? The first time Shampoo had been in a condition comparable to the one she was in this morning was a week ago, now. Just how long would she have to stand this humiliation yet?

Maybe she would never be cured... after all, her great-grandmother had already gone to Dr. Tofu. She'd have told her what it was if it was harmless or if there was a cure, wouldn't she? Hadn't she let her run out of the Nekohanten earlier without trying to stop her as if she couldn't do anything about it? As if she wasn't able to help her? As if there was no hope left for her anyway?

Maybe, in the end, she would...

The thought sent a shudder down Shampoo's spine and she didn't want to finish it.

She wouldn't, as in this moment, she spotted the one due to whom she'd made the detour in the distance. His fiancée walked beside him, but the fact hadn't bothered the violet-haired Amazon for a long time.

The only thing that mattered now was that he was there. Unconsciously, she picked up speed as she realized just how desperately she wanted to be near him, to be comforted by his closeness... to feel him.

When she had approached Ranma at maximum speed until they were separated by only about ten meters, Shampoo lept from her bicycle without braking, causing the vehicle to crash into the fence, leaving a deep dent in it, before it finally slammed together with the order to the ground (the unfortunate customer would hardly ever get to eat the ramen now).

No one bothered.

Shampoo was too overwhelmed by joy as she flung her arms round Ranma's neck, visibly enjoying the feeling how her worry, fear and shame vanished at once as the happiness that flooded her entire body left no room for such negative feelings.

Akane was too furious - she just couldn't decide at whom most of her rage was directed since Shampoo hugged Ranma so fiercely he had trouble to catch his breath and at the same time interrupted their argument, sparing Ranma to answer her question ("So _what_ exactly do you _have_ against P-chan!").

Ranma, on the other hand, was too surprised. He had been so angry at the perverted piglet that he hadn't noticed Shampoo approaching them.

After a moment of silence, Shampoo released her grip on Ranma until she was an arm-length away to beam at him.

Akane was just about to shout at them and already had her satchel at the ready to throw at Ranma as something caught her eye and all of a sudden, her anger was gone, replaced by mere shock.

"Shampoo?" No more word came out.

"Mmh?" Shampoo asked without caring to hide her total indifference, lost in Ranma's sea-blue eyes. He, though, looked over at the stiffened Akane to follow her gaze.

And gasped.

That prompted Shampoo to snap out of whatever dream she'd been in and look down at her body.

In the process of the fierce hug, Shampoo's sleeves had been shoved upwards, revealing little barely healed scratches on her arms. They, however, paled in comparison to several ugly bruises.

Panicked, she pulled away from Ranma, letting out a sharp gasp as well while checking her calves. After she had spotted fresh wounds there too, she reached down to roll up her left trouser leg, only to show more injuries.

They were probably all over her body.

Shampoo stood, not raising her head. Her mind seemed to be completely numb with disbelief for a while.

'But this morning...' she mused when she eventually managed to form mental sentences again, '...this morning there weren't any bruises. Only a few scratches. I figured, I might have gotten them on my training with great-grandmother yesterday. But the bruises...'

The young Amazon then remembered the pain she felt since she'd awoken. It appeared to have gone after her little quarrel with Cologne, but only because she'd been so lost in thoughts. Now, however, the pain was back with full force. 'The bruises seem to be from a recent fight or something since they weren't visible by the time I took a shower...'

And then, another thought struck her, one that had been lingering in her mind all morning, but she had pushed it away unconsciously whenever it threatened to shape itself into something clear and understandable to her that would cause her to worry even more:

When she had brushed her teeth yesterday evening, Shampoo had worn pyjamas...

Ever since the day when Ranma had told Shampoo he would never love a cat woman, Akane had never felt much pity for her rival - until now.

Tentatively, Akane took a step towards the violet-haired girl. She had opened her mouth when suddenly, Shampoo's head snapped up so that she looked her straight in the eye, sending feelings of deep shame and fear to Akane, causing the short-haired fiancée of Ranma to stop where she was.

'No...' Shampoo thought feverishly as she looked alternately from Ranma to Akane, feeling a bead of sweat running down her pale face. 'No, I don't want your pity...' The deep shame was clearly visible in her features and her defensive stance.

As the words had abandoned her for a long time, Shampoo just spun on her heels and jumped on the rooftop of the house to her right (there happened to live the old woman who used to 'accidently' splash Ranma with cold water almost every morning)...

...and was out of sight for the two confused teenagers she left behind.

* * *

Nabiki was worried. 

She'd certainly never thought that one of these days she would be seriously concerned about Kuno - apart from the fact that she'd initially been afraid that Kuno was out to lunch. Of course, if you were bound to be around the would-be samurai every day, you'd realize in time that this was his ordinary demeanor and he was just beyond help.

Consequently, Nabiki hadn't cared about Kuno anymore after they'd been classmates for a week, when she'd branded him as a hopeless case.

But today, the person sitting next to her didn't behave as the Kuno she knew oh-so-well at all.

He did challenge neither Ranma nor Akane this morning. But most suspicious:

No poesy.

So you see why it was not far-fetched to Nabiki that whatever made him look so sad had to be something big.

In other words, she _needed_ to know the cause for Kuno's (in his case) quite peculiar behavior. Urgently.

Thus, Nabiki began with 'part one' of her strategy - 'How to make a person tell you what you want to know' - : Teasing.

"My, Kuno-baby, are you in a good mood today. One rarely sees you dancing around like that these days," Nabiki smirked at the young kendoist who continued to stare pensively at the tabletop.

"Good morning to you too, Nabiki. Now, would you mind to leave me alone?" It wasn't a question.

It was clear, though, that he currently didn't have a sense of humor. Not that he had anyway, mind you.

The middle Tendou daughter sighed inwardly. Seemed like it was time for 'part two' then: show comprehension. Which means in her case: show pity.

Too bad that option was out for Nabiki. The ice-queen could under no circumstances afford to put down her mask, only to win somebody's confidence. Even if she had the faintest clue about how to comfort someone.

No, leave it to Kasumi. Her dear sister appeared to have a sixth sense or something in these matters.

Everybody had his strenghts. And no matter what situation, they always could be used as a weapon. You only had to know how.

And so, biting her lower lip, Nabiki reached into her pants pocket to put 'part three', the desperate and mostly avoided one, into effect.

She grinned to herself when Kuno finally looked up (well, he was actually forced in a way to do so since Nabiki waved with the bills in front of his eyes).

"How may I help you?" His voice was calm, but knowing Kuno, she noticed the slight twitch of his right eyebrow, telling her that he was pretty pissed off.

Nabiki didn't anwer, though. She waited for his reaction when he would eventually have gotten the message.

This time, she didn't have to wait long.

She couldn't help but to smirk satisfied as Kuno's eyes widened with comprehension.

"You couldn't truthfully intend to... pay me, Nabiki?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"Well, there didn't appear to be another option to get you back to realitiy," she told him when she leaned on his table, the few bills under her right palm, somehow relieved that Kuno seemed to be himself again.

"Do you mind answer me a question, Kuno-baby?" And without giving the person opposite a chance to reply, she continued. "What might induce our favorite kendoist to wear such a sad expression on a sunny day like this?"

Kuno sighed. He had evidently expected her to ask that.

"As soon as school has finished, I will pay the St. Hebereke School a visit and cancel the battle for my dear sister that would otherwise take place at 3 p.m.," he informed Nabiki in a measured tone.

"I will tell them about her current state. You must know, Nabiki Tendou, that Kodachi had been attacked the previous evening. The incident might have affected her more than one would think."

"Attacked?" So Nabiki _had_ been right to think that this time his bad mood hadn't anything to do with his pigtailed goddess or Akane.

"Correctly," Kuno replied, "Someone intruded into our mansion in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, we were not able to identify him. We had, however, reason to assume that the person was female because of her long hair and graceful movements. Moreover, the woman was pretty curvaceous and..."

"Oh, c'mon, Kuno-baby, don't tell me you've fallen for her!" Nabiki interrupted.

"Are you implying that I have been unfaithful to my beloved..."

"You know I'd never venture to do so," she said anxiously, hoping he had overheard the sarcastic undertone in that remark. Sometimes, her patience was really wearing thin with Kuno. "But tell me, in what condition might your sister be?"

"Kodachi sleeps. She feels exhausted, not to say weak. Maybe, she is ill. But she permanently claims that the attacker is not responsible for how she feels. One would indeed think this all was a big coincidence, wouldn't you?"

"Mmh," Nabiki responded, more to herself than to anyone else.

The school bell, however, chose that very moment to ring.

As Nabiki made no attempt to move, Kuno said "You may keep the money."

Nabiki smiled. "Do you really think I would have given it to you?"

The kendoist required a moment to realize what she'd said. "Y-You mean you...?"

"You know what, Kuno-baby?" Nabiki asked with a smirk, sitting down on her place, just as their teacher entered the classroom.

"You're so predictable."

**Endof Part4

* * *

**

Author's note: Well, in case you were disappointed that I didn't update as promised last time, I wanted to show you just how sorry I am, and believe me when I say I wrote the whole night on it, yesterday as well, to give you the next ch! Hope you enjoyed it! Please review!

As you might have noticed, English is not my first language. So please, show me the mistakes and I'll fix them! Thanks!

Thank you for stopping by and reading my story!

Until next time,

Jenny


	5. Guests

Ranma 1/2: **A question of confidence**

Author´s Note: This story is based on characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe, a creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Guests**

It was an unusually peaceful and quite Friday evening in the Tendou household.

Maybe the calm before the storm?

Akane and Nabiki were sitting side by side at the table in the living room and discussing the television news while Kasumi would occasionally turn up with dishes and platters with her newest masterpieces (all results of her well-known and respected culinary skills) and place them before her little sisters for soon-to-be dinner, when Happosai arrived.

The perverted master looked somehow on the verge of tears and fairly upset.

"Hardly luck today..." he mused aloud, taking the big cloth he used as a sack from his shoulders and spreading it in front of him on the floor to examine his poor catch.

He let out a sad and disapproving sigh and shook his head as he reflected his latest hunt.

"How'm I supposed to expand my collection calmly and properly when these damn mutts wake everyone up with their yapping?" the old man continued indignantly, not taking his eyes from the ladies' lace underwear. "Half of the neighborhood had even barricaded themselves in their houses without leaving their treasures on the balcony, unless they were already standing before the entrance with a broom in their hands- almost as if awaiting me."

A small sob escaped his throat. "It's no fun! What's wrong with this city?" He directed the last question at his fellow occupants.

"They really make a fuss about the power outages. No wonder that people begin to seriously worry," Akane said with a frown, still watching the newsreader on the television who now went over to announcing the weather for the next few days.

"Hm," Nabiki nodded. "But you have to admit, Akane, that it is odd that all these power cuts seem to appear only in one particular district. Around it, their number increases until we may be involved too since we don't live that far away and no one's able to either discover the cause or to stop it," the middle Tendou daughter replied and reached out for one of the steaming rice balls in the basket Kasumi had just put on the table.

Happosai, meanwhile, was seething with rage. "Did you actually listen to me? How dare you ignore me like that!" He sounded deeply offended and was about to throw his fire ball at them when the three of them turned simultaneously, Nabiki and Akane blinking as though they'd just noticed he was there, Kasumi smiling.

"Oh, welcome Happosai! Did you have a good day? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a few minutes until supper is ready. I'll call you then, shall I?"

There was a brief pause when everyone's attention was turned to Happosai who blinked once and cursed himself mentally for not being able to resist Kasumi's unearthly kindness. The Tendou angle had always been an obstacle to him in some way.

Then, the wrath seemed to visibly and audibly puff out of his body and the old pervert put the ball back under his minicoat, grabbed the clothes and slowly shuffled into the entrance hall, wondering where he'd ended up.

After a shrug of their shoulders, Nabiki and Akane resumed talking and Kasumi returned to the kitchen.

"Say, sis, where's that little piglet you usually carry around all day?"

"Oh, you mean P-chan! Well, I myself haven't seen him since..."

"Oh, don't worry about him, Nabiki," a male voice interrupted. Ranma had just entered the living room. Judging by the white towel around his neck and his topless torso, he was coming from the bathroom. "With his bad sense of direction, he's probably wound up in a restaurant and finally gone for good," he finished as he planted himself at Akane's left side who shot her fiancé one of her best glares. The pigtailed martial artist certainly hadn't liked it, would he not have been deliberately avoiding her gaze.

To Ranma's great surprise, Akane didn't say anything and remained calm.

Instead, she opened her mouth once, although when no sound came out, she closed it again as if she was about to broach a delicate subject with him, but she had no idea where to begin.

The short-haired girl didn't want to start an argue with Ranma now. No, there was something important she intended to make clear to him. She just wished she knew why it was so hard for her...

"Well?" Ranma asked with a mixture of puzzlement and no small amount of concern. Whenever Akane was speechless, which happened quite rarely as she always had a '_Ranma __no_ _baka_' right on her lips, he found himself in growing unease.

Even Nabiki lifted her head now slightly from the magazin she was reading since she'd switched off the TV, and strained her ears curiously. What did her little sister have on her mind?

Akane shifted her position nervously and sighed. "You know, Ranma... I wanted to talk to you about Shampoo." She took a deep breath before she went on. "She seems to go through hell lately. I mean, look at her! I can't regognize her anymore, there's this emptiness in her eyes it hurts to look at. What she needs is rest, but she's just too stubborn to realize that and keeps on working all day." Akane raised her head until she met his eyes. "You saw her yourself this morning... It can't go on like that. Someone must make her see sense!"

Ranma didn't know what he had expected, but this was it most certainly not.

There was a moment of silence and after they all watched Kasumi finishing her preperations for supper and disappearing through the door to call the others, Ranma's words finally returned to him.

"Hang on! Are you blaming _me_ for all this? _You_ were the one who stopped me from following her, remember?"

Akane blinked. It took her a second to realize what he'd just said. Why did he always twist her words so that they were insulting him?

She sighed once more before she continued, trying hard to weigh up each word carefully when she spoke. "Yeah, but that was yesterday, Ranma. Shampoo looked pretty shocked about her condition herself- she potentially told the truth when she said last week she has no clue why this is happening to her. I reckon she also was fairly ashamed that she was ...well... exposed in front of us. She needed some time alone to think it over and maybe to find a way to handle the news."

Kasumi returned imperceptibly into the room. She sat down opposite Ranma and began pouring tea for everyone.

Akane folded her hands in her lap and stared at them for a while. When Ranma didn't reply (face it: He was just anything but an expert in feeling matters - let alone those of women), she turned to face him again and had another attempt. "But now, Shampoo urgently needs someone who gives her comfort, believe me. And who..." she turned away from his sea-blue eyes to resume looking at her hands. "...who could do it if not you."

Nabiki thought she'd just misheard and couldn't help but to blink and raise her eyebrows in disbelief. 'Is she worried about Shampoo?' She then cast a quick glance over at her sitting sister's form at the table. 'Akane...'

Akane gulped. She couldn't bear Ranma's stare any longer. It made her even more nervous than she already was. "And to answer your question, Ranma..." She faced him again. "Yeah, I do think you're one of the reasons - probably the main reason - that she finds herself so worn down."

As Ranma kept staring, she let out a third sigh this evening. Well... it wasn't like she hadn't expected him to react that way, after all. "Why do you think she refuses to rest? How come she still works - uses up her last energy to drive through the city, delivering order after order? To earn money? To do her great-grandmother a favor? To make sure no one starves? I don't think so. Rather..." She bit her lip and silently cursed her fiancé to make her say it.

"To see you."

No sooner had the words left Akane's mouth than Ranma's insides gave a terrible lurch.

'Shampoo...' he mused after he'd finally torn his eyes away from his fiancée, now staring at the dark television screen. 'Akane's really incredibly good-hearted if the welfare of her enemy concerns her to such a degree that she's even willing to overlook the fact that Shampoo had erased her memory not a long time ago as well as she had tried to poison and manipulate her not just once - among other things.'

No one of them, however, had much time to ponder over what they'd do about Shampoo, because in that moment, to everyone's great surpise and dismay (and somehow relief as they'd all been very tense after the conversation without realizing it) they heard the entrance door burst open, a sound that made their hearts jump in their chests, -and none other than Kodachi dashed into the living room and seated herself in a blur of motion - how could it be somewhere else - next to Ranma who - like the others - was still staring at the door and therefore had realized neither that she clung to his arm desperately nor that she buried her face in his sleeve nor that her face was-

Tear-stained, the woman with a long ponytail of curly shimmering black hair at one side had difficulty to form intelligible words between her sobs.

For a long moment, this was the only sound in the room. Then, Kasumi stood up and went into the kitchen to make more tea.

Akane wasn't sure whether to beat up Ranma or to listen to what Kodachi had to say.

Nabiki, now sitting at the table too, couldn't help but to wonder 'Isn't she supposed to be ill or something? Sure, Kunou wouldn't joke about that, would he? No, after all, he was fairly shattered this morning, that poor guy...'

Ranma, who wasn't certain what to do about the pitiful form in his arms, slowly raised his hands and tentatively rested them on Kodachi's shoulders to push her slightly in a sitting position so that she could face him and her words were no longer absorbed by his shirt.

"Oh, Ranma, darling!Imagine... m-my schooll-lost the battle! Because I c-couldn't compete! Now, theycall me a c-coward! _Me_! Kodachi, th-the Black Rose!" A great number of sobs followed. Kodachi just didn't seem to be able to stop. But behind the stream of tears seemed to lurk an immense rage.

"P-Please, Ranma! Restore my honor and find the one who d-did this to m-me!" She swallowed heavily and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand before she continued, this time less shaking. "I mean, I wouldn't beg you to do it if I was in the condition to bump that b-bitch off myself, believe me!"

Kasumi appeared again and kneeled down beside Kodachi to pass her a steaming cup of tea. Naturally, the angle couldn't resist the urge to comfort the gymnast although she knew that this wasn't her business. "Now, drink something first, would you? You will feel better afterwards." Tea warmed you up and always had a sedative effect. That was the only thing Kasumi could do for the girl for the moment, and thus, when Kodachi had accepted her offer with a grateful smile, she got up to take her seat at the table.

Ranma looked Kodachi straight in the eye, determination clearly visible in his features. Of course did he understand how she felt now. After all, she was a martial artist, and it took a lot courage and desperation to ask an other one to take revenge for her. The honor was something very precious for a martial artist. Kodachi had to be really exhausted when she took such a measure.

"I will, Kodachi. I promise."

Even if, according to Nabiki, he'd have to fight a woman - Kodachi asked him for help and she'd get it. He would keep his word.

"Kodachi?" Akane said softly.

Kodachi turned and Akane felt as if something was wrong. Then, it struck her: This was the first time Kodachi looked at her without any loathing in her eyes.

Perhaps the woman in the green leotard just had a similar thought because a slight crease between her eyebrows became visible.

"What exactly did the attacker do to you?"

Again, Kodachi was the centre of everyone's attention. She had just opened her mouth to answer, however, when Mousse suddenly burst in through the sliding door, panting.

Kasumi jumped to her feet and bustled out into the kitchen, murmuring "Oh my, another unexpected guest! And I'm not prepared!".

"Shampoo's fainted! And she doesn't wake up!" Mousse cried.

"_What_?" the others in the room interjected simultaneously, a shocked expression on their faces.

Mousse was rarely panic-stricken. If he was, Shampoo was undoubtedly the cause. And when his eyes met Ranma's, the amount of worry they held nearly drowned the pigtailed martial artist.

"I...I tried to help her... to get her back to consciousness - and she moved! But..." There was an unmistakable pleading undertone in his voice.

Ranma, realizing that it was directed at him, stood up and turned to Kodachi who hadn't hesitated to raise with him - just as if she regarded it as a matter of course that she would join him.

"Listen, Kodachi." He caught Kasumi's gaze. "You need rest. Stay here with Kasumi. She will look after you."

Kodachi felt so exhausted - but was also somehow flattered at her darling's obvious concern for her - that she made no attempt at replying. (Besides, why would she want to help her rival?)

Thus, Kasumi led the young gymnast into the guest room where Kodachi would get some sleep.

As soon as the two of them had vanished through the door, Ranma faced Mousse again. And nodded.

Akane, getting the message, started in time to run and had therefore no problem to keep up with them as they headed at high speed for the Nekohanten.

They had just left the house when the door was slid open and Soun entered the living room. "Sorry it took so long, Kasumi, but..."

It was then that he looked round the deserted room. Supper had been left untouched on the table.

"... Where are they gone?" the patriarch asked into the silence. He was sure he had heard voices coming from inside just a moment ago.

All those facts led him to only one possible explanation:

Something was wrong.

* * *

In the dark restaurant area of the Nekohanten, something stirred slightly on the floor. 

A small moan escaped Shampoo's throat as she slowly brought herself upright in a sitting position.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open abruptly, filled with plain fury, and she staggered to her feet, reeling upstairs and straight into her room.

Without hesitation, the violet-haired girl snatched the one Bonbori that was still lying before her bed and jumped out of the window and onto the roof...

**End of Part 5**

* * *

Author's note: My, your reviews are really a motivation! It's still hard for me to write in English, but I think I'm becoming faster with each chapter ;-P. Oh, and by the way, my birthday's next Monday (16, at last!). Enjoy your holidays! 

As you might have noticed, English is not my first language. So please, show me the mistakes and I'll fix them! Thanks!

Thank you for stopping by!

Bye,

Jenny


	6. In search

Ranma 1/2: **A question of confidence**

Author´s Note: This story is based on characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe, a creation and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Chapter 6: In Search**

Akane ran.

By the time they had arrived at the Nekohanten, they had found the Chinese Restaurant deserted. Quickly, Ranma had suggested that they splitted up so that they had a better chance to find Shampoo as soon as possible.

Akane's first idea where to go was (as always when she needed help) Dr. Tofu's. It had been rather instinct to turn in the direction of his office after they'd parted than anything else.

Of course did she know that there was only a tiny glimmer of hope that Shampoo might have consulted the docter, for she felt so miserable - but if the young Amazon wasn't there, Akane would try to persuade Dr. Tofu to join them and help searching Shampoo at any rate. Perhaps, he would even be able to tell what was going on in Shampoo - and who knew, maybe he would even be able to bring the tiniest flicker of light into the deep dark in which they were still groping around.

While she dashed along the people-empty sidestreets of Nerima, Akane was thinking hard about the sudden uncharacteristical actions her purple-haired rival had taken lately.

The question which crossed her already swirling mind over and over again in the process was: Why?

Why did she run away from them when she evidently needed help? Why didn't she just accept their justified concern instead? Didn't she understand that they were - well - her friends?

She'd addressed them when she'd been threatened by enemies of hers before, hadn't she?

But then, Akane remembered, Ranma had been involved and he had been as much in danger as Shampoo...

This led Akane to another way to consider the used-to-be vivid and enthusiastic girl's thinking.

Was it... Akane's eyebrows creased slightly into a pensive frown. Was it maybe because this was a different case to her now? Because this time, it affected her alone?  
Maybe she'd merely wanted to warn them at that time when they had to fight the Chinese twins. Because she had felt guilty at having Ranma dragged into her business.  
Maybe this time, it was different because Shampoo just didn't know how to deal with the current situation; didn't know neither the cause of her unusual exhaustion nor how to cure it.

Was she scared?

'Damn! What's wrong with you, Shampoo?' Akane thought angrily, the feeling of dizziness gone and immediately replaced by an increasing throbbing in her head. Either she had misjudged Shampoo's character or running away was just not like her.

When she approached the doctor's office, the thoughts kept swirling madly in her mind until her head actually hurt.

Before she entered, though, Akane took on a more confident expression and told herself 'Shampoo is strong. She will never let herself intimidate by some unknown kind of danger, but face it like the determined fighter she is.' Nevertheless, two words nagged in the back of her mind, almost successing in making her sceptical: 'Will she?'. Unlike usually, when she appreciated the interference of that sensual part of her mind, she waved them away at once. She had to trust in Shampoo. The girl she knew would just not do something rash and stupid now, regardless how hopeless she might feel in the moment.

Since she had not knocked on the door, there was a rather surprised look on the handsome doctor's face as she burst in, drawing quick breaths.

"Akane! Did something happen?" Dr. Tofu asked.

"Doctor Tofu - sorry - I didn't mean to..." She trailed off, resting her right hand on the door-frame to support her rocking body.

But Akane hadn't stopped speaking because her lungs needed a pause.

Her face imitated the expression of the one Dr. Tofu was wearing when she spotted the person sitting opposite him.

"Cologne!?"

She returned the woman's stare. "What are you doing here?" There was no sharp edge in her voice, rather growing confusion.

"Oh, Akane," the Amazon replied - strangely enough, in an odd gentle tone which seemed very unfamiliar to Akane, coming from the old ghoul. "I'm afraid my obstinate great-granddaughter was in a - shall we say - alarming condition this morning again. Consequently, I decided to take the doctor's advice and came to his office to see whether his investigations on the matter were succesfull."

Akane nodded. She should have known that Cologne - unlike Mousse's supposition - hadn't gone to Funabashi early to receive the new ramen supplies. Of course, Cologne would have informed Shampoo about such a journey, but Mousse obviously wasn't too sure she had even considered to let HIM know as well. After all, the fellow member of the Amazon tribe used to 'forget' he was there, too, and when she remembered, Cologne always treated him like a good-for-nothing servant who wasn't worth being told about the ambitious projects of an Amazon woman.

"How can I help you, Akane?" Dr. Tofu repeated, smiling now, but still looking concerned.

"Doctor, Mousse came by and told us that Shampoo has fainted again -"

Cologne's eyes widened. "Doctor," she said and stood up, facing Akane. Dr. Tofu did likewise and answered her unfinished question. "Of course. I'm on the way."

"-no, Doctor, she's not at the Nekohanten; we were already there," Akane continued.

"Indeed?" Dr. Tofu asked pensively, obviously waiting for more information.

His regular patient nodded swiftly, gesturing her impatience. "We parted to go looking for her in the surroundings. The meeting point will be at the Tendo's if someone found her - or if it's useless."

"It won't be," the doctor said at once and strode over to the coat-hook next to the entrance door to seize his jacket. The two women followed close behind. "We will find her."

And together, they went outside into the chilly, growing darkness of the approaching night.

Hurrying down the alleyways, Dr. Tofu addressed Akane. "Why did Mousse come over to you and left Shampoo behind alone?"

"He said that she didn't regain consciousness, despite his efforts to shake her awake."

"I understand... But then, why didn't he take her with him?" he pressed.

"I don't know..." Akane responded, now puzzled herself. "I suppose he just didn't think she would awake while he was away."

"Hm," Dr. Tofu said with a nod before he turned his head to face Cologne on his other side.

"You have been about to tell me what exactly you saw in Shampoo's chi this morning when Akane has arrived, Cologne," he remembered the old Amazon who had been quiet since they had set off, apparently lost in thoughts.

"Oh" She snapped out of her reverie and spoke then in an even tone. "Yes, Doctor," she began slowly. "Well, it was the same strange lump I have discovered last week - but much clearer."

Dr. Tofu sighed, but remained silent.

"I hoped, Doctor, that you have a particular suspect by now. Do you have any idea what might cause those fainting fits yet?"

Another sigh followed. "I am sorry. My investigations have produced nothing so far," he admitted.

Akane, who was slightly astonished of Dr. Tofu's fitness, began panting again. She took it that the conversation was over and - like the others - turned her head to glance in each alley they passed, hoping to catch sight of a swift movement, followed by a blur, the color of a certain violet...

* * *

There was a soft knock on the door. 

Kuno looked up.

Who would want to see him at such a late hour? He certainly didn't expect someone, and his sister was gone half an hour ago...

But in spite of his confusion and mild anxiety, Kuno straightened up and approached the door.

"Who is there?"

His voice sounded unnaturally loud as it broke the silence and echoed against the immense walls of the large training hall.

No answer.

The fact, however, only confirmed his uneasiness and thus made him feel no better as he reached the door and, hesitantly, opened it, his bokken still in his left hand - just in case.

He blinked once, then stuck his head out into the hall, looking right and left.

It was empty.

'So,' Kuno thought angrily, one eyebrow twitching. 'Someone makes fun of Tatewaki Kuno.'

"Show yourself!" he roared along the deserted corridor to no one in particular. "Only cowards hide!"

His eyes full with determination, he clutched the bokken with both hands and pushed the door wide open with a violent kick so that it would hit the wall hard. The act would no doubt ensure a frightening entrance.

Kuno prepared himself for the big bang.

Instead, though, there was a soft, muffled noise.

Confused, he stepped into the hall and took a look behind the door.  
His eyebrows raised, he reached down for the paper ball that lay on the floor and unfolded it.

Now, his curiosity was definitively aroused.

Kuno threw the small stone which had been wrapped up in the ball out of the window and smoothed out the message.

He skimmed through the first line -

And gasped.

* * *

"How do you feel?" Kasumi asked, handing her patient a new-filled cup of tea. 

"Much better. Thank you for your hospitality," answered Kodachi who took the offer with a grateful smile.

"You're welcome. You can stay as long as you please. Now, rest some time. No one will disturb you here. When you are hungry, don't hesitate to join us at the breakfast table tomorrow morning."

With that, the eldest Tendou daughter stood up from where she had knelt beside Kodachi's futon and turned to leave the guest room.

Kodachi looked after her until she had vanished through the door, then sighed and sipped the warming drink.

She felt sated and warm- in a word: good. For the first time in the last few days, she could tell that she felt good. Maybe she could really get some sleep this time. Because Kodachi felt so exhausted that she couldn't imagine having had rest at all the last week.

After that dinner, Kodachi had no doubt that Kasumi really was an excellent cook. 'The better for me,' she thought, 'That naive girl Akane who impudently calls herself Ranma's fianc? will never live up to his wishes and desires. Some day, my darling will come to realize too that I am the only one who has the qualifications to become his rightful wi-'

"'Come'"

At once, the gymnast snapped out of her reverie. Where had the voice come from?

Frantically, she looked from one corner of the room to the other.

But there was no one to be seen.

Strange. She could have sworn she had heard -

"'Follow me'"

The twisting, nervous sensation in her gut told her that something was completely wrong.  
She had never heard such a voice before. It sounded bemused, friendly and somehow... tempting.

Kodachi just wasn't able to make out where it came from.

"'There is a place'"

It seemed to echo in her head as though it was magnified by a microphone.

"'You can be with Ranma'"

Why did she feel so light-hearted all of a sudden?

"'Follow me. I will lead you to a place where you can be at Ranma's side'"

The soft, echoing whisper fogged her mind. She felt numb; as though her thoughts were being drained.

"'Come with me!'"

And without knowing what she was doing, Kodachi threw back the blanket.

**End of Part 6**

* * *

Author's note: I'm back again! After all, the show must go on! Sorry, but I'm afraid I won't be able to update regularly because this school year is going to be particularly stressful. That, however, doesn't mean I don't get a lot of fun out of writing this fanfic anymore - don't worry. Just check every now and then in case I have updated a new chapter. And please, don't forget to review.

As you might have noticed, English is not my first language. So please, show me the mistakes and I'll fix them! Thanks!

Thank you for stopping by and reading my story!

Until next time,

Jenny

* * *


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